Exercise makes the body more efficient and lends greater endurance

Are there negative markings for exceeding the word limit? A student from Ahmedabad

No marks are cut for exceeding the word limit. However, it is better to adhere to the specified word limit. This should be practised at the time of revision, which will also help in completing the paper in the allotted time.

Will a student lose marks if he or she opts for Hindi as the medium of answering more than two papers? A student from Surat

Certainly not. The board gives students the option of answering questions in Hindi or English. Marks are deducted only in the case of wrong answers.

It seems the global meltdown will have an impact on placements at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) this year, too. There was a general air of disappointment at the institute on Wednesday - Day Zero of final placements for 2009 - as only 9 companies had turned up for recruitment.

Sources said this was 16 companies less than the number that had turned up for recruitment at IIMA on the first day of placements last year. Placement officials at the institute, however, declined to confirm or deny the figures.

Last year, 25 companies had arrived on Day Zero and 65% (i.e., 161 students) of the graduating batch had either received job offers or opted out by the end of the day.

Unhappy over lack of a holiday before a key subject — bookkeeping and accountancy

Commerce students attempting HSC exams this year have a grouse against the timetable. According to them, the board has failed to allot a holiday for one of their key subjects — bookkeeping and accountancy.

“Bookkeeping and accounts is one of the important subjects for commerce students. As I have opted for secretarial practice (SP), I have three important papers one after the other and there is no break for the accountancy exam,” complained Anahita Nair, a commerce student of Sathaye College, Vile Parle.

The Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Tuesday released an advisory for students appearing for the written examination on February 26.

Abiding by the Bombay High Court directives, the board will allow the use of calculators for students with learning disabilities (Dyslexia-Dysgraphia-Dyscalculia), students who have opted for maths and commerce students who have opted for book-keeping and accountancy.

However, calculators on mobile phones will however not be allowed, a press release issued by the board said.

Examination for the Information Technology paper will be conducted online. A total of 56,823 students are scheduled to appear for this examination.

In an effort to regularise pre-primary school training in India, Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women's University will introduce a two-year master's programme in early child care education (ECCE) from the coming academic year. This is the first time a post-graduate degree will be offered in early childhood education in India.

The principals' meet of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GHSHEB) held on Tuesday may bode many changes in the future, especially for English medium schools and their students. The GHSHEB has received a memorandum from English medium schools, asking for a separate merit list for their students in both the SSC and HSC examinations.

The memorandum stated that, every year, English medium students were unable to secure marks in parity with Gujarati medium students because of the lack of teachers for assessment of the formers' papers. The principals also raised the issue of errors found every year in English medium textbooks.